Raspberry plant named `AnnaMaria`

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of red raspberry plant named &#39;AnnaMaria&#39;, botanically identified as Rubus idaeus L. The new cultivar is distinguished from other red fruited cultivars by its large fruit of excellent firmness, its high yielding capacity on both primocane and floricane crops, and light red color of the fruit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar was developed from the hybridization of the selection `E39-3` (unpatented variety) as the seed parent with the selection `F164-3` (an unpatented variety) as the pollen parent. The parents were crossed in the Fall of 1992, whereafter fruit and seed were collected to produce seedlings for field planting in Watsonville, Calif. in 1992. The new cultivar was selected from these seedlings in August 1993 for its large fruit size, high productivity, and fruit flavor. The new cultivar has been grown and asexually propagated by in vitro shoot tip culture, root sucker division and root cuttings at the Cassin Ranch in Santa Cruz county, California, and has been shown to maintain the desired and distinguishing characteristics after propagation over several generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a new and distinct cultivar of red raspberry plant named `AnnaMaria`. The new cultivar is botanically identified as Rubus idaeus L. The `AnnaMaria` cultivar produces a primocane crop which begins in mid July to early August and continues through November. The floricane crop begins in late April and continues through late June. Both the primocane and floricane yields are very high relative to other comparable cultivars. The fruit of `AnnaMaria` is large and firm and remains consistently so throughout its harvest period. The fruit of `AnnaMaria` is light red.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the primocane fruit, leaves and shoot of the new cultivar, in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make in color illustrations of these characteristics.

FIG. 1 is a photograph of a primocane mature leaf and fruit.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of a primocane shoot and leaf.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of the new raspberry cultivar, `AnnMaria`, is based upon observations taken of plants and fruit grown in Watsonville, Calif. between 1994 and 1997, and is believed to apply to plants of the `AnnaMaria` cultivar grown in similar conditions of soil and climate elsewhere.

Throughout the specification, color names beginning with a small letter signify that the name of the color, as used in common speech, is aptly descriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter and followers by an alphanumeric code designating the color according to The R.H.S. Colour Chart published by The Royal Horticultural Society of London, England. Color designations, descriptions, and other phenotypical descriptions may deviate from the stated values and descriptions depending upon variation in environmental, seasonal, climatic and cultural conditions.

Tables 1 and 2 present information on the plant and fruit characteristics of the new cultivar `AnnaMaria` compared with characteristics of the unpatented raspberry cultivars `Heritage`, `Summit` and `Amity`. The closest cultivars to `AnnaMaria` are `Amity` for its cropping cycle and `Summit` for its primocare production. Observations of the cultivars were taken under similar conditions.

The new variety is particularly characterized and distinguished from other cultivars listed in tables 1 and 2 by its high yielding capacity on both primocane and floricane crops, and large fruit size, firmness of the fruit and fruit flavor.

The fruit color of `AnnaMaria` is light red at harvest with little color change after harvest. Fruit of `AnnaMaria` is large, separates very easily from the receptacle and is of very good firmness at harvest.

`AnnaMaria` is distinguished from its pollen parent, `F164-3`, as having a higher yield and greater fruit firmness. `AnnaMaria` is distinguished from its seed parent, `E39-3`, by having a higher yield and fruit that is less firm.

ISOZYME CHARACTERISTICS

In addition to the morphological description above, the new variety `AnnaMaria` has been analyzed to obtain an indication of its genetic makeup to provide further means to identify the new variety and distinguishing it from some other somewhat similar and/or related raspberry varieties. Specifically, leaf samples of `AnnaMaria` and the unpatented varieties `Heritage` and `Summit` were analyzed by electrophoresis for the isosozyme patterns of the enzymes phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and phosphoglucomutase (PGM) using the procedure described by J.C. Cousineau and D.J. Donnelly, "Use of isoenzyme analysis to characterize raspberry cultivars and detect cultivar mislabeling", Hort Science 27:1023-1025 (1992). The results of the electrophoresis analysis are presented in Table 3 with the letters representing the cultivar banding pattern for each enzyme as designated in the above-identified article.

DISEASE AND STRESS RESISTANCE

The cultivar is moderately susceptible to late leaf rust. Resistance is unknown to powdery mildew and root rots. Cold tolerance of the new cultivar has not been established. Post harvest fruit rot resistance is average in comparisons over many selections and varieties.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         PLANT CHARACTERISTICS OF `ANNAMARIA`                                                      Anna-  Heri-                                                                   Maria  tage     Summit   Amity                                      ______________________________________                                         General                                                                        Plant size   large    large    small- medium                                                                  medium                                          Growth habit erect    erect    semi-  erect                                                                   erect                                           Productivity very     medium   high   low-                                                  high                     medium                                   Self-fruitfulness                                                                           self-    self-    self-  self-                                                 fruit-   fruit-   fruit- fruit-                                                ful      ful      ful    ful                                      Primocane                                                                      fruiting                                                                       percent of cane                                                                             ˜40-60                                                                            ˜5-20                                                                             ˜40-50                                                                          ˜20-35                             flowering as                                                                   primocane                                                                      percent of total                                                                            ˜50-70                                                                            ˜40-60                                                                            ˜50-70                                                                          ˜40-50                             yield                                                                          Number of young                                                                             few      medium   few    many                                     shoots                                                                         Primocanes                                                                     number fruiting                                                                             11-23    2-14     9-15   6-14                                     laterals/cane                                                                               (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                                 17)      8)       12)    10)                                      number of    2-6      3-5      2-7    1-6                                      canes/crown  (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                                 4)       4)       3)     3)                                       young shoot  medium    medium   medium                                                                                medium                                  pigmentation inten-   inten-   inten- inten-                                                sity     sity     sity   sity                                                  red      red      red    red                                      length (cm)  175-     182-     137-   135-                                                  225      230      212    208                                                   (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                                 198)     208)     164)   168)                                     diameter                                                                       (end of 1st year)                                                              cane base (cm)                                                                              0.8-1.7  0.9-1.4  0.8-1.3                                                                               0.8-1.5                                               (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                                 1.2)     1.2)     1.1)   1.1)                                     central 1/3 of                                                                              0.7-1.2  0.8-1.1  0.7-1.0                                                                               0.6-1.0                                  cane (cm)    (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                                 0.9)     1.0)     0.8)   0.8)                                     time of shoot                                                                               late     very     late   medium                                   emergence             late                                                     prickles                                                                       pigmentation green-   green-   brown- purple                                                brown-   brown-   ish-                                                         ish      ish      purple-                                                      green    green    purple                                          density on young                                                                            medium   dense    sparse sparse                                   shoots                                                                         attitude of tip                                                                             hori-    down-    down-  hori-                                                 zontal   ward     ward   zontal                                   size         small    medium   medium small                                    texture      heavy-   rigid    heavy  heavy                                                 rigid                                                             presence and regu-    regu-    regu-  regu-                                    distribution on                                                                             larly    larly    larly  larly                                    petioles     distri-  distri-  distri-                                                                               distri-                                               buted    buted    buted  buted                                    pubescence on                                                                               strong   absent   medium medium                                   canes                 or                                                                             very                                                                           weak                                                     internodal                                                                     distance (cm)                                                                  (at central 1/3                                                                             4.2-6.5  3.0-6.0  3.2-7.5                                                                               3.0-6.5                                  of cane)     (mean     (mean     (mean                                                                               (mean                                                 5.1)     4.7)     4.8)   5.0)                                     lenticels    not      not      not    not                                                   visible  visible  visible                                                                               visible                                  Floricanes                                                                     number       9-11     10-14    10-15  12-19                                    nodes/lateral                                                                  branch                                                                         number of    1-2      1-4      2-6    1-2                                      flowers/node                                                                   Leaves                                                                         Arrangement  com-     com-     com-   com-                                                  pound    pound    pound  pound                                    Relief between                                                                              medium   very     medium medium                                   veins                 weak                                                     Cross section                                                                               flat-    concave  flat   con-                                                  convex                   cave-                                                                          flat                                     Leaflet number                                                                              3-5      3-5      usually                                                                               usually                                                                 5      3                                        Terminal leaflet                                                               length (cm)  14.0     14.6     12.4   13.7                                     width (cm)   14.0     7.8      7.2    12.1                                     shape        lobed    ovate    ovate  lobed                                    tip          acumi-   acumi-   acumi- acumi-                                                nate     nate     nate   nate                                     base         cordate  acute    rounded                                                                               cordate                                  margin       doubly   doubly   doubly doubly                                                serrate  serrate  serrate                                                                               serrate                                  Lateral leaflets                                                               (basal pair)                                                                   overlap      over-    free     over-  over-                                                 lapping           lapping                                                                               lapping                                  orientation  opposite opposite opposite                                                                              opposite                                 shape        ovate    oblique  ovate- ovate-                                                                  lobed  lobed                                    tip          acumi-   acumi-   acumi- acumi-                                                nate     nate     nate   nate                                     base         weakly   oblique  oblique-                                                                              oblique                                               cordate-          rounded                                                      round                                                             margin       doubly   doubly   doubly doubly                                                serrate  serrate  serrate                                                                               serrate                                  length (cm)  11.0     14.7     11.6   11.7                                     width (cm)   7.5      8.6      7.7    8.2                                      Rachis length                                                                               3.0-4.9  0.8-2.2  0.5-1.8                                                                               2.4-3.9                                  between terminal                                                                            (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                    leaflet and  4.3)     1.5)     1.2)   3.0)                                     adjacent lateral                                                               leaflets (cm)                                                                  Glossiness   medium   medium   medium dull                                     Color                                                                          face         medium   medium   medium medium                                                147A     137A,    137A   147A                                                           139A                                                     underside    148C     148C,    191B   191A                                                           191B                                                     Petiole                                                                        length (cm)  6.3-10.7 6.6-8.5  5.8-8.9                                                                               4.0-8.2                                               (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                                                 8.3)     7.6)     7.4)   6.0)                                     pigmentation of                                                                             weak     lightly  lightly                                                                               lightly                                  upper surface                                                                  pigmentation of                                                                             weak     unpig-   lightly                                                                               unpig-                                   underside             mented          mented                                   Petiolule length                                                                            short    very     short  very                                                           short           short                                    Stipule      erect-   erect    erect- erect-                                   orientation  clasping          clasping                                                                              clasping                                 Flowers                                                                        Flower color white    white    white  white                                    Flowering period                                                               primocane    mid      mid      early  early                                                 June-    June-    June-  June-                                                 mid      early    mid    early                                                 October  October  Septem-                                                                               October                                                                 ber                                             floricane    late     early    early  early to                                              March-   April-   April-  mid                                                  mid June early June                                                                              early June                                                                            March-                                                                         early                                                                          June                                     Flower size  medium   small    medium large                                    Petal                                                                          length (cm)  0.8-0.9  0.7-0.8  0.7-0.9                                                                               0.7-1.0                                  width (cm)   0.4-0.5   0.3     0.3-0.4                                                                               0.3-0.5                                  Pedicel                                                                        coloration   present, present, present,                                                                              present,                                              medium   strong   strong strong                                                inten-   inten-   inten- inten-                                                sity     sity     sity   sity                                                  red      red      red    red                                      length       medium   medium   medium long                                     Productivity                                                                   Primocane    ˜13.3                                                                             ˜5.1                                                                              ˜7.3                                                                            ˜6.4                                            t/acre   t/acre   t/acre t/acre                                   Floricane    ˜8.1                                                                              ˜4.1                                                                              ˜2.9                                                                            ˜5.1                                            t/acre   t/acre   t/acre t/acre                                   ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS OF `ANNAMARIA`                                                  AnnaMaria                                                                              Heritage  Summit    Amity                                       ______________________________________                                         Fruit                                                                          Harvest season                                                                 primocane                                                                               mid July to                                                                              late July-                                                                               mid July-                                                                              mid July-                                          early     mid       late    mid                                                August-   November  October November                                           November                                                              floricane                                                                               late April-                                                                              mid May-  mid May-                                                                               late April                                         late June mid July  mid July                                          mid July                                                                       Color    Light Red Medium Red                                                                               Medium Red                                                                             Medium Red                                immature 39A, 43C  53A       46A     46A                                       maturing 46D, 47A  45A, 46D  45A     47A                                       mature   45D       44C       42B     42B                                       Glossiness                                                                              weak      medium    medium  medium                                    Dimensions                                                                     weight (g/fruit)                                                               primocane                                                                               4.0-4.5   2.7-2.9   2.5-3.3 2.7-3.7                                            (mean 4.2)                                                                               (mean 2.8)                                                                               (mean 2.8)                                                                             (mean 3.2)                                floricane                                                                               3.6-4.1   2.3-2.7   2.5-2.8 3.0-3.4                                            (mean 3.9)                                                                               (mean 2.6)                                                                               (mean 2.6)                                                                             (mean 3.2)                                length   21.4-33.3 --        17.5-25.4                                                                              17.5-22.2                                 (primocane)                                                                             (mean 28.7)         (mean 20.2)                                                                            (mean 20.1)                               (mm)                                                                           width (primo-                                                                           20.6-27.0 --        18.3-23.0                                                                              15.9-23.0                                 cane) (mm)                                                                              (mean 23.7)         (mean 20.4)                                                                            (mean 20.2)                               Soluble sol-                                                                            9.2       --        9.4     9.7                                       ids (%)                                                                        Titratable                                                                     acidity                                                                        (% as citric                                                                            11.2      --        14.5    11.2                                      acid)                                                                          Seeds                                                                          weight (mg)                                                                             1.8       --        1.8     1.5                                       Number   103-165   45-102    73-119  62-108                                    druplets/fruit                                                                          (mean 142)                                                                               (mean 72) (mean 98)                                                                              (mean 88)                                 Firmness firm      firm      firm    firm                                      Yield    very high medium    high    medium                                    ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         ISOZYME BANDING PATTERNS OF `ANNAMARIA`                                        COMPARED WITH `HERITAGE` AND `SUMMIT`                                                  Isozyme and Pattern                                                    Cultivar  PGI           MDH    PGM                                             ______________________________________                                         AnnaMaria A             H      C                                               Heritage  A             D      C                                               Summit    A             C      A                                               ______________________________________                                     

We claim:
 1. A new and distinctive cultivar of raspberry plant, as illustrated and described herein. 